Biden, Sanders and Beto top Iowa 2020 poll

Beto O'Rourke. Photo: Paul Ratje/AFP/Getty Images

A Des Moines Register/CNN/Mediacom Iowa Poll of potential Iowa caucus voters reveals that former Vice President Joe Biden (32%) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (19%) are leading what is likely to be a massive field of Democratic candidates in the 2020 presidential primary, followed by Rep. Beto O'Rourke (11%), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (8%) and Sen. Kamala Harris (5%).

The big picture: The Iowa caucuses are still 14 months away, and none of the leading contenders have officially declared that they'll run for president. But given that Iowa is the first state to vote and is often seen as a barometer for later contests, it's noteworthy that voters favored a more "seasoned political hand" over a "newcomer" by a margin of 49% to 36%. O'Rourke is perhaps the most intriguing of the leading potential candidates, having been lifted to national prominence after narrowly losing his Texas Senate race last month.